Napkin or letter holder with suction cup

ABSTRACT

A holder for table napkins or letters has a base supporting an upstanding receiver member for engaging table napkins or letters and the like to hold them upright. A suction cup is held to the underside of the base for holding the base securely to a surface such as a table top or desk upon removal of a napkin or letter held by the receiver member. The suction cup is secured within a recess of the base by a washer held within the recess, and has upstanding portions engaging the underside of the base to enable the suction cup to be depressed by movement of the holder downwardly. In preferred form, the base and upstanding receiver member are made from wood, and the base has an opening for receiving a tab connected to the suction cup for releasing the suction cup from the table or desk.

PRIOR APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/840,644 filed Apr. 23, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a holder for table napkins, letters or the like and the holder has a suction cup attached to its base to secure the holder to a table top or desk.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Holders for such planar items as table napkins or letters are well-known; and often such items are held by the holder in an upright position for easy access. In this way, the table napkins can be arranged attractively on a table top or letters can be grouped attractively upon a desk and the holder can be used for items of various size with minimal need for space on the desk or table top. Unfortunately, the holder may become unstable when a napkin or the like is attempted to be removed, particularly should the items become wedged within the holder.

[0004] A napkin holder for holding table napkins in an upright orientation and yet may be held to the table top upon attempting to remove a napkin has been proposed by the inventor in the co-pending application noted above. In the holder disclosed in such co-pending application, a suction cup is held to the underside of the base of the holder and can be pressed downwardly by movement of the holder for securing the base to a surface such as a counter or table top in order to facilitate removal of a napkin even if it should be held tightly by the holder.

[0005] In such devices disclosed in the noted co-pending application, the suction cup is held directly to the base, and such construction often requires the base be formed of a sturdy material such as metal.

[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a construction for a holder for such planar items as table napkins or letters with a suction cup, but the holder can be fabricated from less sturdy materials, such as wood.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to the present invention, a holder for such planar items as table napkins or letters has a base and an upstanding receiver member extending upwardly from the base for holding the planar items. The base has an inner recess formed with a generally domed-shape upper surface and a suction cup is held within the recess and adapted to be depressed downwardly by movement of the holder for holding the base securely to a surface such as a table top in order to facilitate removal of the planar items from the roll. A holding member is secured to the upper surface of the recess and holds an upstanding knob member projecting upwardly from a central portion of the suction cup.

[0008] In a preferred form of the present invention, the base has an opening on its periphery, and a tab upstanding from the periphery of the suction cup extends through the opening for enabling the suction cup to be released from the surface. Further, the upper surface of the suction cup may have upstanding portions to engage the undersurface of the base to depress the suction cup assuredly upon downward movement of the holder.

[0009] These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the description given below of a preferred embodiment, which description is made in conjunction with the following drawing figures.

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder for such planar items as table napkins or letters of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a disposable towel holder of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the holder of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the holder of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of the holder of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a bottom elevational view thereof;

[0016]FIG. 7, illustrates the holder of the present invention in exploded form; and

[0017]FIG. 8 is a sectional view through the lower portion of the holder of the present invention.

[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a holder 10 holder for such planar items as table napkins or letters of the present invention includes a domed base 12 formed of wood and having a wooden upstanding receiver member 14 adapted to hold planar items such as table napkins, letters or the like.

[0019] The wooden receiver member 14 is channel shaped, but as understood in the art, may have other configurations such as prongs known in the art. In this way, table napkins, letters or the like of any number of sizes may be placed upright on edge in the receiver member 14. In use, a napkin or letter held by the holder may be pulled from the holder by a user; and this may cause the holder 10 to move along the table or desk top or even be lifted by the user attempting to remove an item, particularly should the holder be stuffed with planar items wedged within the receiver member 14.

[0020] In order to secure the holder 10 to a counter top, desk or the like, fitted beneath the base 12 is a dome-shaped suction 16 formed of an elastomeric material. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the suction cup 16 is held within an inner recess 18 of the base 12 and the upper surface 19 of the inner recess 18 has a generally domed shape conforming to the contour of the suction cup 16.

[0021] As can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, a washer 20 serving as a holding member is held by wood screws 21 and 22 over a central recess 24. Screws 21 and 22 also serve to secure the receiver member 14 to the base 12, and the washer 20 has a central opening 26. An upstanding elastomeric knob 28 extends upwardly from the central portion of the suction cup 16 and has an enlarged end portion which may be compressed and inserted through the opening 26 of the washer to secure the suction cup 16 in position within the recess 18 of the base 12.

[0022] The suction cup 16 additionally has upstanding projections 30 and 32 preferably formed as ridges adapted to engage the upper surface 19 of the inner recess 18 of the base 12. In this way, downward movement of the holder 10 will cause the upper surface 19 of the inner recess 18 of the base 12 to press firmly against the projections 30 and 32 and assuredly depress the suction cup to a counter top, desk top or the like. The projections 30 and 32 may, as illustrated, be a pair of semi-circular ridges arranged 1 concentrically around the knob 28.

[0023] A tab 34 is connected integrally to a peripheral portion of the suction cup 16; and extends upwardly through a slotted opening 36 in the periphery of the base 12. In use, the holder 10 may be secured and placed on a supporting surface such as a counter or desk top by being pressed forcibly downward to provide a suction gripping the surface; and the suction can be released by the user simply grasping the tab 34 and lifting to separate a lip portion 38 of the suction cup from the support surface to release the suction and enable the holder to be removed. As shown in FIG. 8, the lip portion 38 is of greater thickness than the remainder of the rim of the suction cup. These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment made above; however, the present invention is not limited by any details of the above but is set forth by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. In a holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like, said holder having a base having an inner recess formed with a generally domed shape upper surface, an upstanding receiver member extending upwardly from said base and adapted to hold said planar items, a suction cup held within said recess and adapted to be depressed by downward movement of the holder for holding the base securely to a surface for removal of a planar item, and a holding member secured to said upper surface of said recess and adapted to receive and hold an upstanding knob member projecting upwardly from a central portion of said suction cup.
 2. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 1, said base having an opening on a peripheral edge portion thereof, and a tab upstanding from a peripheral edge portion of said suction cup and through said opening enabling the suction cup to be released from the surface.
 3. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 1, said suction cup having projections extending upwardly from said suction cup and adapted to be engaged by said upper surface of said inner recess upon downward movement of the holder.
 4. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 3, said base having an opening on a peripheral edge portion thereof, and a tab upstanding from a peripheral edge portion of said suction cup and through said opening for releasing the suction cup from the surface.
 5. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 3, said projections being formed by a pair of semi-circular ridges arranged concentrically about said upstanding knob member.
 6. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 1, said holding member being a circular washer adapted to have said upstanding knob member press-fitted therein.
 7. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 6, said base having an opening on a peripheral edge portion thereof, and a tab upstanding from a peripheral edge portion of said suction cup and through said opening for releasing the suction cup from the surface.
 8. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 6, said suction cup having projections extending upwardly from said suction cup and adapted to be engaged by said upper surface of said inner recess upon downward movement of the holder.
 9. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 8, said base having an opening on a peripheral edge portion thereof, and a tab upstanding from a peripheral edge portion of said suction cup and through said opening for releasing the suction cup from the surface.
 10. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 8, said projections being formed by a pair of semi-circular ridges arranged concentrically about said upstanding knob member.
 11. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 8, said upstanding receiver member being held centrally to said base.
 12. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 6, said upstanding receiver member being held centrally to said base.
 13. A holder for planar items as table napkins, letters or the like as set forth in claim 1, said upstanding receiver member being held centrally to said base. 